Matt Moseley is a communication strategist, author, speaker and an world record  open water adventure swimmer. He is the author of  Soul is Waterproof and  Ignition: Superior Communication Strategies for Creating Stronger Connections. He has spent his career at the intersection of public policy, business and government and has managed many public affairs projects and campaigns for organizations and companies. He is the principal and CEO of the Ignition Strategy Group, which specializes in high-stakes communications and issue management for the biggest companies in the world to the smallest organizations. He is also the author of Dear Dr. Thompson: Felony Murder, Hunter S. Thompson and the Last Gonzo Campaign.

He has completed five first-ever record adventure swims and is the subject of the documentaries Dancing in the Water about his 25 mile swim across Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans and the movie Silent River about his 40 mile swim down the Green River. He is the co-chair of the Southwest River Council for American Rivers and is member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Leadership at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Kristin, and their children, Charles and Amelia.

He has completed five first-ever record adventure swims and is the subject of the documentaries Dancing in the Water about his 25 mile swim across Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans and the movie Silent River about his 40 mile swim down the Green River. He is the co-chair of the Southwest River Council for American Rivers and is member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Leadership at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Kristin, and their children, Charles and Amelia.

Moseley was hired by Johnny Depp to be the family spokesperson and communications director for Hunter S. Thompson’s funeral and ash-blast. He also led the successful campaign to free Lisl Auman from a life sentence for felony murder. He wrote a book about the effort called, “Dear Dr. Thompson: Felony Murder, Hunter Thompson and the Last Gonzo Campaign.”

Since 2005, Moseley has been in practice as a communications strategist and consultant for companies and organizations, including AT&T, American Rivers, Aurora Economic Development Council, Colorado Education Association, National Juvenile Defender Center, Xcel Energy, AFL-CIO, the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center and many others.

Moseley served as the communications director for the Colorado Senate under President Joan Fitz-Gerald. He was a press officer for the United States Olympic Committee at the 2004 games in Athens, Greece, where he wrote numerous articles for national publications and was “Our man inside the Olympics” for The Denver Post. Other experiences include being the national field director for Rock the Vote in Los Angeles. In 1998, he served as the deputy press secretary under White House communications director Mike McCurry for the Denver Summit of the Eight (G7 Summit).

He is currently the co-chair of the Colorado River Basin Council for American Rivers and is member of Advisory Board of the Center for Leadership at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He was appointed by the Boulder City Council to serve on the Transportation Advisory Board. He was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award and is the recipient of the Colorado Professional Firefighters Excellence in Service Award.

He grew up in Lafayette, LA. He went to Louisiana Tech University and studied his junior year abroad at the University of Lancaster. He has a master’s degree in Political Science/Public Policy from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a frequent writer and spokesperson on current events.

Moseley has completed three world-record adventure swims. On June 11, 2014, he completed the first-ever solo swim crossing of Lake Pontchartrain, for 25 miles in 14 hours and 56 minutes, which was made into a documentary by Emmy-winning filmmaker Wayne Ewing called “Dancing in the Water.” On May 28, 2015, he made the first swim crossing from the island of Culebra to Fajardo, Puerto Rico, for 24 miles in 12 hours, 1 minute, 55 seconds. In late July 2015, he did the first-ever swim through Canyonlands National Park on the Colorado River for 47.5 miles in 13 hours 56 minutes, which was acknowledged by Outside Magazine. The World Open Water Swimming Association nominated him for the Performance of the Year for 2015.

Marathon swimming may seem crazy to some, but it is a way of drawing attention to critical water issues.  How we treat our water says a lot about who we are as a people. Matt’s swim in Canyonlands was part of a series of three world-record adventure swims in thirteen months: a lake, an ocean and a river. READ MORE >>

Making a difference

All of Matt’s swims benefited organizations working to protect water: Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Scuba Dogs Society in Puerto Rico and American Rivers. The swims raised thousands of dollars and received millions of media impressions for the partnering organizations. In addition Moseley was the lead for the City of Boulder Transportation Advisory Board on a 2013 ballot measure to significantly increase long-term funding. He has been a long-time advocate for juvenile justice issues with the Pendulum Foundation and the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center on many successful reforms including most recently ending Juvenile Life Without Parole.

What people are saying?

“Moseley is no stranger to the discrete charms of the press corps.” Washington Post

“If I’m ever busted for something I never did, I want Matt Moseley’s number sewn into my underwear.” Sam Kashner, contributing editor, Vanity Fair

“There is one contemporary swimmer who stands out for his uniquely joyful approach to the sport. Matthew Moseley combines the physical toughness of an endurance athlete with the right brain creativity of an artist. Dancing in the Water combines the human drama of distance swimming with the joy of music and beauty of art, leading to a masterpiece that is greater than the sum of its parts.” Steve Munatones, World Open Water Swimming Association